The present invention is concerned with equipment for training football players, particularly in the art of blocking or evading blocks. Proper technique requires the player to, first of all, engage the opposing player and reverse his momentum prior to rolling his hips forwardly to initiate the lifting action required to control the opposing player. This pivoting of the body from the hips, converts the horizontal movement generated forwardly into a force with a vertical component which tends to lift the opposing player so as to render the opposing player momentarily unable to assist his team mates or make a play.
A mistake commonly made, when the player rolls his hips forwardly and lifts, is that he does this prior to reversing the momentum of the opposing player, which reduces the power and effectiveness of a block, for example. When training with the device of the present invention, the player is forced to move in a forward direction a predetermined distance before he can successfully roll his hips and lift, and the training sled of the present invention thus aids a player to develop the most powerful and effective blocking and tackling techniques.
While other blocking sleds have utilized blocking pads or dummies which are rearwardly resiliently yieldable under forceful blocking pressure, none have, to my knowledge, sought to improve such devices in the manner which will be disclosed.